Politics

2 officials in North executed publicly

North Korea publicly executed one of its top finance officials and one of his deputies by firing squad in a Pyongyang stadium before spectators, according to Daily NK, an online newspaper devoted on North Korea news.

Pak Nam-gi, former head of planning and economy at the Workers’ Party, was publicly executed on March 12 for his role in redenominating the North Korean currency, which caused economic chaos, the newspaper said Sunday, quoting an inside source in Pyongyang.

“Pak was executed by firing squad at 2 p.m. on March 12 at the Sosang Stadium of Pyongyang as the Workers’ Party and economic officials were watching,” said the source. “Immediately before the execution, the judge is said to have criticized Pak as ‘a historical traitor who trapped the people in misery with this redenomination.’”

According to the source, another senior official of the North’s National Planning Commission whose name was not confirmed was executed on the same day.

The report also said Yun Ki-jong, the cabinet’s former finance director, has returned to the government to deal with the economic crisis since Pak’s execution.

By Lee Young-jong [myoja@joongang.co.kr]